Sonic Advance 3 Critic Reviews

The value of this cartridge will keep you playing and playing until your fingers rub raw.

They've tweaked and improved the gameplay considerably, included two fantastic multiplayer games and wrapped it all up in a beautifully drawn and dynamic sounding environment.

The addition of two tag-team characters in Sonic Advance 3 definitely changes things up considerably, as do the much larger and more expansive level designs.

With the well developed co-op, blazingly fast single player, and the underused but excellent multiplayer, and with an excellent soundtrack, Sonic Advance 3 expands in ever way over Sonic Advance 1 & 2.

While the game still maintains the same traditional platformer level design and old-school Sonic action, the game is designed around teamwork this time around and this is handled superbly throughout the game.

Sonic Advance 3 doesn't revolutionize the franchise but the new multi-character system allows it to keep it from being redundant and allows for an enjoyable experience.

Faster than ever, with loads of replay value - let down slightly by some extremely dodgy level design. One for speed-addicts.

The level design is fantastic, with large imaginative interactive environments.

Sonic Advance 3 actually brings something new to the table--a tag-team play mechanic that ultimately enhances the overall product rather than mucking it up.

Graphics and sound are, as expected, top-notch (I love the remix of old Green Hill music), and the bosses are outstanding.

It can be a little too difficult at times, especially when trying to make finicky jumps on a small screen while, for example, riding a bus. But the balancing issues are confined mostly to the bosses.

The combination of the terrifically-executed side-scrolling action game that became the killer app for the Genesis, along with the replay-enhancing tag-actions feature, makes Sonic Advance 3 a winner.

The strongest point of the game is also its weakness. The fact that for most of the games features it remains the same as all the older 2D sonics will have some fans happy but other gamers wondering why they should again fork out for a few new features.

Another excellent side-scroller with a special focus on variety.

Sonic Advance 3 doesn't make any significant changes to the traditional Sonic gameplay but what it does it does bigger and better than any previous handheld Sonic game before it.

When the speed stops, the fun stops. Otherwise, Sonic Advance 3 moves fast, looks and sounds good (Sonic fans will certainly groove to a remixed tune or two), and has a few multiplayer options to boot.

As you explore the seven extensive worlds, you'll find hidden Chaos that you can maintain in the Chao Garden.

8 / 7 / 7 / 8 - 30 silver

Sonic Advance 3 finally comes up with a way of introducing teamwork and variance between characters that doesn't overwhelm Sonic's bread-and-butter gameplay.

The core mechanics and level designs are all excellent enough that the extra characters won't detract from the game should you decide to ignore them. In the end, this is the best and most realized of the Sonic Advance games.